During Teacher Appreciation Week, a spotlight shines on educators who go beyond simply handing out homework and grading tests. Kristina Laber, a seasoned educator within Columbus City Schools, has made it her mission to visibly motivate and uplift her students. Laber's effectiveness in her approach was attested to by sixth-grade student Brayan Ventura, who, in an interview with the school district's website, detailed how his grades improved "higher and higher" with her guidance. Ventura attributed his success to Laber's insistence on participation and completing work.
Indeed, Westmoor Principal Wendy Gittens has found a fitting title for Laber, hailing her as a "master motivator" and a "student whisperer," as the Columbus City Schools' website reported. Laber's 13-year career with the district, seven of which have been spent at Westmoor Middle School, has been marked by her passion for clearly engaging learners transitioning from elementary to middle school, a phase she finds joyous.
Laber's commitment to enriching her pupils' education was exemplified through the Columbus Metropolitan Library’s Winter Reading Challenge, which she structured for her class with an inventive incentive—a May trip to Kings Island. This demonstrates her ability to use judicious rewards to encourage academic engagement. "Some of my kids have been getting into reading so much this year, and that has been really fun," Laber expressed her excitement in an interview with the school district's website.
But Laber's contributions extend beyond standard classroom learning, particularly this year, as she took on the challenge to purposefully teach an unprecedented-sized English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) population at Westmoor. Orienteering through this new terrain, she managed to source Spanish versions of "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen, providing her ESL students with the tools necessary to access education while they are still learning English. "I can't imagine how hard it is to come into a classroom where you know no English at all,” Laber said in an article on the Columbus City School's website. Her efforts represent not just dedication, but an empathetic understanding of her students' diverse needs.
Laber's lasting impact on her students is evident years after they leave her classroom. Some return to invite her to their high school graduation parties, a touching testament to the relationships she forges. These bonds underscore Principal Gittens' sentiment echoing through the halls of Westmoor; Laber is described as a "legacy teacher" whose presence families and staff prize. Teaching is more than a profession for educators like Laber—it's a commitment to shaping futures, one student at a time.
